All of the local kids had gone home for winter break, leaving campus basically empty. That is, all except for the spattering of students whose parents lived abroad.  No one wanted to be lonely on their break, so the remaining students decided to organize events throughout the course of the week. The first event: dinner hosted by the sophomores.

            “So what’s the plan?” Kun asked. They needed to start cooking soon, if they wanted to finish before the other students began arriving. Taeyong also looked expectant.

            “We were thinking of doing something different. Maybe kind of American.” Doyoung explained.

            Taeyong cocked his head. “American?  Why?  They don’t really season things. Isn’t it going to taste boring?”

            “Not at all,” Jaehyun said. “We’ve got plans for kind of a mishmash of food from all over the USA, and a lot of their food is based on food from other countries.”

            “For example,” Doyoung added, “We were thinking of doing roasted root vegetables from New England, diner style home-fried potatoes, and maybe some red beans and rice.”

            “Doyoung,” Kun looked him dead in the eye, “You know red beans and rice is it’s own meal, right?”

            “Yeah, but making enough red beans and rice for everyone is going to take up way too much space and time. I thought we could do it as like a sampler or side,” Doyoung defended.  “Besides, we already did the planning and shopping. You two really have no say.”

            Kun sighed and shook his head.

            “What’s the main course?” Taeyong asked. He had gotten up and was looking through the shopping bags laid out on the counters. He picked up a package of ground beef.  “Are we doing bolognaise?  That’d be a lot of starch.” He frowned at the image of rice, potatoes, and pasta.

            “Oh no. No tomato sauce here,” Jaehyun was smiling now. “How do you feel about “burgers by state”?  Breakfast burgers with hollandaise, some seasoned like they do in the Yucatan and topped with avocado, and of course, the Hawaiian -- soy sauce and grilled pineapple. ”

            Kun’s face lit up. “I haven’t had a hamburger in ages. Let’s do this.”

***

            After splitting up the work, the boys began prepping the meal. Taeyong was in charge of the vegetables.  Carrot, parsnip, and turnip for the oven. Avocado and heirloom tomato for the burgers.  He didn’t want to admit it, but the pineapple was leering at him from across the table. I’ll get to it later… he thought.

            Kun was on the potatoes. He had already chopped them into bite-sized pieces. The next step was deciding what to use as seasoning.  Hmmm… Salt and pepper, obviously. Maybe some thyme.  Basil might be good. But what to fry them in?  Jaehyun was concerned that his face was going to get stuck if he kept glaring at them for too much longer.

            “You could just use butter. That’s what my mom did when we were living in Connecticut,” Jaehyun offered.

            “No no! It has to be some sort of animal fat. Beef talo is really tasty,” Doyoung added. “That’s what Julia Childe used.”

            “When I was in New Orleans with my parents a few years ago,” Taeyong started, “we had fries that were cooked in goose fat.  It was the most decadent potato I had ever tasted.”

            “You know, I think we actually have some goose fat,” Kun said. He picked it up off the shelf and spooned it into a cast iron pan.

            Once the question of the potatoes was answered, Jaehyun got back to shaping the patties. They were sorted according to additional seasoning.  For the breakfast burger, there was only salt and pepper. I’m going to have to start the hollandais right when I’m done, won’t I… he thought. For the California burgers, there was a bit of chili powder and some salt. The citrus-honey sauce would come later.  The Hawaiian burgers had a bit of soy sauce worked into the meat; just enough to enhance the flavors of the burger without making them sloppy. My mouth is watering already…

            Doyoung, being the planner that he was, had soaked his beans the night before. His rice cooker was going, and the soaked beans were simmering away on the stove.

            “Hey, so the beans just need to simmer for a while. Do we have enough produce left for a salad?” he asked.

            “Sure,” Taeyong said. He was oiling trays for the root vegetables. “What kind of salad were you thinking?”

            “I don’t know yet. What do we have in the fridge?” Doyoung asked.

            They surveyed the table. In front of them were some greens: lettuce, arugula, kale, and cabbage. There were more heirloom tomatoes, as well as carrots, and cucumbers. 

            “Do we have any cheese?” Doyoung muttered as he stared at the produce.

            “I think there’s some in the fridge. Maybe some goat cheese?” Taeyong suggested.

            “That could work,” Doyoung said. Something caught his eye. “Um… Jaehyun?” he asked.

            “Yeah?” Jaehyun called from the stove. He didn’t turn around.

            “Did we get an extra pineapple? There’s one on the counter here.” Doyoung said.

            “No, I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure we only got the one.” Jaehyun turned his head. “Huh.  Maybe we did get two.”

            “Actually, I… have a confession to make,” Taeyong said quietly. Doyoung and Kun looked at him.  Jaehyun turned back to the stove. He had a feeling he knew what Taeyong was going to say.

            Taeyong continued. “I don’t actually know how to break down a pineapple. The last time I tried I almost lost a finger.”  His face was red, and he wouldn’t look the others in the eye.

            “Oh Tae, that’s ok. Want me to show you?” Kun asked.

            Taeyong nodded.

            “Alright. Doyoung, the salad can wait. Can you take over the potatoes for me while I help with the pineapple?”

            “Sure thing, Kun,” Doyoung said as he walked over to the burner. “Oh boy… these smell amazing!”

            “Yah! Don’t eat any. They’re for dinner.” Kun snapped.

            “Yes, mom,” Doyoung groaned.

            “And don’t call me that!”

***

            Before long, students were piling into the dorm. The smells of herbs and meat filled the dorm. 

            “Smells like we’re in for a good meal tonight,” Himchan said. “I’m already drooling.”

            “Yeah, this new class is brilliant. Really adventurous too,” Yixing added.

            “Daehyun is going to be jealous,” Taekwoon said matter-of-factly. “Are you going to tell him?”

            “Of course.” Himchan said, smirking. “How could I not?”

            “Oh look!” Yixing his phone at Taekwoon and Himchan. “Taeyong updated his instagram.”

            They all crowded around the screen. The picture was of a pineapple that had been peeled and cored. Yixing paled a bit when he read the caption.

 

Finally I can cook with pineapple! Thanks to @qianKun for teaching me how to break it down without injuring myself. #food #pineapple #hawaii #nomorebloodypineapple #embarrassingcookingaccidents

 

            Himchan and Taekwoon looked at him, faces deadpan.

            “Did you not teach him how to cut up a pineapple?” Himchan asked.

            “Heheh…” Yixing laughed nervously. “I tried once… It’s… hard to try again after you send someone to the emergency room.”

            Taekwoon’s eyes got wide, and his head snapped down to the hashtags again. #nomorebloodypineapple… no more bloody pineapple.

            I don’t even want to know what happened… he decided.

***

            When the food was finally laid out, everyone dug in. They decided to serve the food family style, with everyone sitting around a massive table, passing dishes around. The students abandoned any semblance of plating aesthetic (except for Taeyong, who pulled out his camera before he ate). For the first bites, there was silence.  After, several in the group let out satisfied hums.  Conversation fell by the wayside in favor of enjoying the food.

            When it was over, the students sat in satisfied silence for a moment. A junior named Wendy broke it first.

            “You have no idea how long I’ve been craving a burger. And with avocado.  Just… mmmmm.” She hummed happily.

            “Those potatoes were expertly done too,” a senior, Kyungsoo, added. “What did you use to fry them?”

            “Goose fat, Taeyong’s suggestion,” Kun said. “It was a hard choice though.  There are so many different ways to do home-fries.”

            “Whose idea were the roasted roots?” Himchan asked. “They were sweeter than I expected.”

            “I came up with the idea, but Taeyong was the one who roasted them,” Jaehyun said. “I spent a lot of my childhood in New England, and in the winter time, only root vegetables are really in season. It’s hard to grow anything in the winter, but things like parsnips get sweeter if they get frozen in the ground. They’re also easier to get over here than gourds.”

            Himchan nodded, along with a couple of others.

            All in all, it was a delicious start to the break.